Ann Arbor, MI - Americans’ confidence in their ability to access and pay for healthcare showed a significant decline in October, according to a consumer sentiment index produced by Thomson Reuters.

The Thomson Reuters Consumer Healthcare Sentiment Index dipped from 98 to 96, wiping out the modest uptick seen in August and September. The index’s baseline measurement of 100 was set in December 2009.

The index, which is based on the Thomson Reuters PULSE™ Healthcare Survey, has two parts:

-- A retrospective component gauges respondents’ experiences during the past three months. It tracks whether they postponed, delayed or cancelled healthcare services and whether they had difficulty paying for medical care or health insurance. In October, retrospective consumer sentiment dropped from 98 to 97.
-- A prospective component gauges respondents’ expectations for the next three months. In October, prospective consumer sentiment fell from 98 to 95 - a low last seen in the summer of 2010.

The Thomson Reuters PULSE Healthcare Survey polls more than 100,000 U.S. households annually. It is representative of all U.S. adults and households. The Consumer Healthcare Sentiment Index is based on responses from a survey subset of 3,000 respondents each month.

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